Saw a fox during the night

bigackJune 17, 2012

I was up to get a drink in the wee hours, and saw something under the bird feeder. I just watched it for a good while, then finally got the flashlight to shine on it. It was a small grey, and in 43 years, we've never seen a fox around here!

thought we had a fox, but the closer i got realized it was a coyote! better still are the deer that have passed thru our yard (and we're city-bound) saw the other day on one of the busy streets, a deer caution sign!

we had 2 buzzards last year fly thru (one landed on our shed..they're huge)

now a small bunny and chimpmunk have started visiting under the bird feeders...

We have a family of 5 red tail foxes in an old hedgerow behind out houses. The same day we saw them playing in the open we had 2 white tail does walk through. The Does were a very rare sighting. I live in a residential area of this city of 360,000 people. The foxes are very shy and disappear as soon as they see us moving. And we have Canadian Geese who like to nest in our flower beds. This gander would not allow us out of door near their nest. He would seriously attack anyone who came near. He got blood from me, but I was not going to be a prisoner in my own home. I warned the mowers to watch out for him and the mower said there won't be a problem riding on these noisy machines. I didn't see it but the neighbors told me, the gander chased the mower and attacked both guys riding mowers until they finished.

When I was young my father found a nest of babies and the mother was dead, he brought all the babies home for us to raise. They all flourished. We returned them to the woods where he found them, I kept one that was super tame, I would walk it on a leash. The others would come to the yard and visit us and the one I kept. When it was fully mature I left it free to choose if it wanted to go with the others, it finally left but would come back to see me often. Even when they had their own babies they would come by. They were so beautiful.

When we lived in Denver we had the most beautiful silver foxes that would wander through the property.

I remember when I was still at home on the farm and my brothers found a den of foxes. They tried to smoke them out. I dont know how, but it involved a vacumn cleaner hose. I remember one of my brothers got burned pretty badly and they had to take him to the hospital. It was the same brother that I spilled how milk on when he was laying on the floor in front of the cupboard. He still has a scar on his arm from that. This had to be about 48 years ago.

We have red foxes (which are so pretty if, sadly, they don't have mange), raccoons, skunks, possum, groundhogs, rabbit and deer. We are right on the edge of a large metropolitan city! Chipmunks and squirrels, or course.

I've always thought it odd that foxes are seen so seldom! I've always lived in areas where there are foxes around but have only actually seen one (crossing the road or whatever) a handful of times. I'd love to be able to see and photograph fox kits! Or adults too, for that matter :-)

We live in Central Toronto and have been warned by Animal Control to watch out for coyotes in the area. We have a dog - 22 lbs., but people with large dogs, being walked on leash, have had their dogs attacked by coyotes. Raccoons and skunks are a nuisance, coyotes are a whole different ball game. Of course I understand that we are taking over their natural habitat, but that would be small comfort if I had to do battle for my dog's life - which I would do - the coyotes would have to take out both of us. Animal Control has suggested that people take down their bird feeders - I feel sorry for the birds, but ... A friend of mine has a red fox living in her back yard. Her husband thought she was making it up until they came face to face. He tried to scare the fox off - not happening. I have bought a small air horn just in case we encounter the coyotes.

awww...they are so cute. That's a great picture!! We had a fox here in the yard for a couple of weeks. I haven't seen it for a few days now. Also saw a coyote near our house. Some of the other critters we have here are racoons, deer, possums,squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits, wild turkeys, ducks and geese. It's kind of tricky feeding the birds here. LOL